Ok Let’s Go – Meaning, Origin and Usage
‘OK, let’s go’ might sound like a statement of enthusiasm for the task ahead, but as a matter of fact, it’s not. Strange, huh? If you’re feeling confused at this point, you’re probably not alone. But don’t worry, In this article I’m going to explain everything. Concentrating in particular on the origin story of the phrase, to give this relatively new phrase some context to help you grapple it and understand the true meaning..
I’ll also cover how and when to use the phrase, before providing you with several alternative phrases that you can use in its place if you so wish.
And without further ado, let’s get straight to it.
What is the meaning of the phrase ‘OK, let’s go’?
Previously, if someone said ‘OK, let’s go’, you’d assume they were happy about starting a new task or venture, but in fact the more recent version of the phrase means exactly the opposite.
The person saying the phrase means that they have zero enthusiasm for the task ahead. Meant in this way, the phrase is normally drawn out as opposed to being said quickly with enthusiasm, depicting a kind of ennuis at the idea of pressing ahead. It’s as though they’re being forced to do something that they really don’t want to do.
Read on to learn the origin story of the phrase to learn why the meaning of the phrase has changed so much.
What is the origin of the phrase ‘OK, let’s go’?
The new ‘OK let’s go’ began as a soundbite from a Dutch TV show called ‘man bijt hind’ which translates ‘man bites dog’. The show is one where people chat about their favourite hobbies and interests.
In the footage where the soundbite is taken from, the hobby being discussed is of a gamer saying things into their microphone. In a long, drawn out style, with a nasal tone, the gamer says ‘Okaaay, let’s go’ showing zero enthusiasm for the next bit of the game they are playing.
This took place in late 2021, and the video footage made it to TikTok, where the soundbite began to feature in surplus of a staggering 12,000 known video shorts. What’s more, the hash tag #LetsGo ranked up to over 7.5 billion impressions on the platform.
How and when can you say ‘OK, let’s go’?
When using the phrase ‘OK, let’s go’ to mean that you have no enthusiasm for the task ahead, you should say it in the long and drawn out way as was done in the original viral soundbite.
If you fail to say it this way, spending copious amounts of time on the vowels, people will assume that you mean the opposite and assume that you are in fact enthusiastic about the task ahead.
You can say it in everyday conversation or in memes, for example in the form of a photo or cartoon of someone yawning with the caption ‘OK, let’s go’.
Or alternatively you can use it on YouTube or on the Twitch platform, or of course, when making your own TikTok video shorts with family or friends. You can do this either with the original soundbite, or you can make your own version of it.
What are some other ways of saying ‘OK, let’s go’?
As already mentioned earlier, the phrase ‘OK, let’s go’ was previously associated with showing genuine enthusiasm for an upcoming task. However, since the phrase became a viral soundbite on TikTok and other platforms, it has come to mean the opposite when the phrase is drawn out.
For this reason, you may wish to use alternative words and phrases in its place, so that if you are using the phrase in written form, for example in a text or in a stationary image and caption, people will understand what you mean.
In these circumstances, here are some alternative words and phrases that you can use in its place:
- Yawn
- How boring
- So boring
- How dull
- So dull
- How dreary
- So dreary
- Do I have to?
- Do we have to?
- I don’t want to do it
- Sounds boring
- Sounds like fun (said sarcastically}
- Sounds exciting (said sarcastically)
Final word
So, to sum up, in contrast to its previous meaning, since late 2021, the phrase ‘OK, let’s go’ no longer shows enthusiasm for something, but instead it conveys a lack of enthusiasm for whatever is about to happen next.
This new meaning of the phrase came about through a soundbite that went viral on the social media platform TiKTok, following its use in a drawn out way on a Dutch TV show.
For the correct meaning to be conveyed, the phrase must be said in a drawn out manner and ideally with a similar nasal tone to the original soundbite.
